Running back Adrian Peterson turned out to be the odd man out in the New Orleans Saints backfield, and the former NFL MVP was traded to the Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday.

The Cardinals rank last in the NFL with an average of 51.8 rushing yards per game - 23 yards fewer than any other team.

The Saints signed the seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time NFL rushing champ on April 25, even though they had Mark Ingram coming off a 1,000-yard season and had added Tennessee running back Alvin Kamara in the second round of the NFL Draft on April 28.

That set off an offseason of speculation about how New Orleans would balance its crowded backfield.

In the Saints' four games, Peterson got 27 carries for 81 yards and caught two passes for 4 yards. In New Orleans' most recent game - a 20-0 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 1 - Peterson gained 4 yards on 4 rushing attempts.

Ingram has 42 carries for 170 yards and 15 catches for 125 yards this season. Kamara had 15 carries for 83 yards and one touchdown and 20 receptions for 147 yards and one touchdown.

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The Cardinals lost their top ball-carrier, David Johnson, to a wrist injury in the season-opening game on Sept. 10. Johnson led the NFL in yards from scrimmage in 2016, but was expected to miss a minimum of two months after having wrist surgery.